Universal Declaration of Human Rights by Jason Belland
Dec 30, 2015
UniversalDeclaration ofHuman Rights
by Jason Belland
History of Human Rights
• Babylonian Code of Hammurabi• British Magna Carta• French Declaration of the Rights of Man• U.S. Bill of Rights
Events Preceding UDHR
• World War I
• League of Nations
• FDR’s “New Deal” and “Four Freedoms”
• World War II
• Nuremberg and Tokyo Tribunals
• United Nations
Creation of UDHR
1946: Commission of Human Rights formed
1947: Drafting of declaration begins
1948: Lengthy and often divisive deliberations
10 December 1948:
UN General Assembly adopts UDHR
The General Assembly Vote
The 8 Abstentions
Countries Points of Contention
Soviet Bloc Limited sovereignty of nations
Saudi Arabia Freedom to change religion; gender and marriage rights
South Africa Racial equality
Eleanor Roosevelt
• Delegate to UN General Assembly 1945-1952
• Chairperson of Human Rights Commission
UDHR Articles: Examples
Article 5: Freedom from Torture
Article 25:
Right to Health Care
InternationalCovenant on Civil
and Political Rights(ICCPR)
InternationalCovenant on Economic,
Social, and Cultural Rights(ICESCR)
UniversalDeclaration ofHuman Rights
(UDHR)
International Bill of Rights
International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
150
37
7
not signedsigned but not ratifiedratified
UDHR Preamble
“Every individual . . . shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms . . . “
http://www.udhr.org
Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights
40
3
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
ICESCR USConstitution
Components